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w. F. DUBERT;

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 11, 1916.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Qwuualoz the aid of the usual hand control wheel, may be easily steered,at the same time avoiding Urn STATESPATENT om To allwhom it mag concern:

Be,it known that I, WILLIAM F. Dunner, a citizen of the United- States,residin at Fulton, in the county of Jackson and tate of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Steering-Gears,"ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to steering gear for vehicles and particularlyautomobiles, motor trucks and other motor propelled vehicles, the mainobject of the present invention being to produce novel connecting meansbetween the steering shaft and steering rod of a vehicle including aneccentric and other elements whereby the vehicle, with any possibilityof the steering wheels of the machine reacting on the hand control wheelso as to snatch the said control wheel out of the hands of the operator,the construction being such that the steering wheels 1 are in .eifectlocked in whatever position they may be.

' the invention consists'in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts,

' as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying I drawings :Figure 1 is a View partly in side.elevation and partly in section illustrating the steering gear of thisinventidn in-its relation to the steering shaft and steering rod of anautomobile. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, showing a portionof the frame in cross section. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating the action of the steering gear.-

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the steering shaft of a motorvehicle, 2 the hand wheel thereof by means of which the vehicle issteered bythe driver, 3 the steer ring rod or rod'which is usuallycoupled to the connecting rod which extends between the steeringknuckles of the front wheels of the 'machine, and 4 the frame of themachine, all of said parts being of the usual construction andarrangement at present in common use.

= In carrying out the present invention, I remove the usual arm from thesteering shaft 1, which arm connects directly with the steering rod 3and in lieu thereof, an eccentric 5 is mounted upon the steering shaftand keyed or otherwise fastened the'reto'so as to turn therewith. Astrap 6 encircles the eccentric 5 and is, preferably of the split from.

With the above and other objects in view, 7

variety, being'composed of two' substantially semi-circular sectionswhich are bolted or otherwise fastened together as shown therebyenabling'the strap to be pla around the eccentric and removed there- Theeccentric strap 6 is provided arm-7 having a or fixed relation to saidstrap an provided with a longitudinal Patented not; '1, '19 16:

with an slot 8 the purpose of which will presently appear, the arm 7being terminally formed with theeball member 9 of a ball and socketjoint, the socket 10 of which is at the adjacent portion, of thesteering rod 3. v

11 designates a hanger or bracket which is fastened to one of the sidebars of the frame 4- as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, 12 desig natingbolts and 13 designating braces for firmly securing the bracket 11 infixed relation to the frame. At its extremity, a fulcrum support or bar14 is secured in fixed relation to said bracket by means of a plu-'rality of bolts 15 inserted through a corresponding number of holes inthe extremity of the hanger 11 thus providing for an adjustment of thefulcrum support or bar 14 frame 4.

The extremity of the member '4 is supported by means of a brace 16'having anopening in the upper end thereof through which the steeringshaft 1 passes,.the upper end of the brace 16 being interposed betweenthe hub of the eccentric 6 and the The bearing 17 for the steeringshaft 1. other extremity of the brace 16 is inserted through a hole inthe adjacent end of the member 14 and the members 14 and 16 aresecuredtogether in fixed but adjustable relation by means of nuts 18threaded on the relatively to the hanger, after the latter has beenadjusted to the desired point on the tively to the pivot 15 in order toaccommodate the movement of the eccentric strap.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanylng. drawings, it will now be understood that when theoperator, by means of the hand wheel 2, turns the shaft -1, theeccentric 5 is correcorrespondingly affect the hand wheel 2. g Inother-words, the steering gear is prac spondingly thereby tric strap, (1the arm of the eccentric strap,

centricstrap 6 and causing a r'oc I g and sliding movement of the arm 7in relation i This causes the lower ex: 5 tremity of the arm :7 "to movelaterally to to its support.

one side or the other in accordance with the direction in which thesteering shaft is turned thereby imparting a corresponding movement tothe steering rod?) which op crates and controls the front steeringwheels of the machine. The steering gear of this invention operates withgreat ease when the hand wheel 2 is turned but vin case the machinewheels strike ruts and obstructions the angle thereof is not disturbedso as to tically locked at all times and is only controllable by meansof the hand wheel 2 and the steering'shaft 1;. This avoids anypossibility of the hand wheel 2 vbeing snatched out of the hands of theoperator, thus avoid- I ing many of the accidents which now result inthe overturning or ditching Of a can and" other similar accidents., v 1I The invention is partlcularly adapted for use in connection with carsof light weight,

a the steering gear, by reason of the locking action thereof, enablingsuch light machine o to hold the road in the same manner as a heaviercar. I i a In the diagram, Fig. 3, a represents the the ends thereof.

steering shaft, 6 the eccentric, 0 the e'cce'n c the connection betweensaid arm and the steering rod 3, f the fulcrum support, and W g'thepivot corresponding with-the pivot 19 of 'the preceding figures." Thedotted lines 1. The combination with the steering shaft andsteering rodof avehicle, of an eccentric fasten the steering shaft, a strapencircling said eccentric, and an arm on said strap'terminally jointedto said steering rod and pivotally and slidably mounted between 2-. Thecombination with the steering shaft and steering rod of a vehicle, of aneccentric fast on the steering shaft, a strap encircling said eccentric,an arm on said strap terminally jointed to said steering rod, and meansfor producing a. pivoted and sliding action of said arm as the eccentricis turned by the steering shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

' WILLIAM F. DUBERT.

Witnesses:

Earns Monsn, Mrs. ifisgrrrs Monsn.

